246 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. February 



Fortunately he had the ability and presence of mind to 

 steer himself and so landed in a soft place. I at first 

 thought it a bit of his usual fun, and a quick method 

 of getting down a slope of snow, but as the rapidity 

 increased, it was evidently an accident and no laughing 

 one either. 



f A lemming was caught in its winter coat ; when 

 it saw that escape was hopeless it backed into a hollow 

 in the snow and attempted to defend itself by striking 

 vigorously with its fore-feet, uttering a shrill squeak. 

 Except by quickly retreating to their burrows these 

 animals have little protection from their enemies the 

 snowy owls and skua gulls. If caught at a distance from 

 their retreats a dog or fox can readily run them down. 



' When returning to the ship Mr. Pullen and I 

 followed in the track of the dogs and sledge which had 

 preceded us. At one spot the sledge had fallen over 

 a perpendicular snow-bank eight feet in height on to 

 hard pieces of ice at the bottom — a very awkward 

 place for an accident. Our anxiety for the drivers was 

 much relieved by seeing the sledge moving along some 

 half a mile ahead of us as if nothing had happened. 

 It appears that the weather being too misty to 

 permit shadows forming, the edge of the pit was not 

 seen until the dogs disappeared into it. Egerton and 

 Frederick rolled off in time, but Eawson found himself 

 amongst the dogs with the sledge turned over on top 

 of all. Most fortunately neither sledge, animals, or 

 human beings suffered in the least. 



' During the calm weather which preceded the 

 late gale the bare patches on the hill-tops had 

 gradually become whitened with the invisible precipi- 



